Respectful Arguments: How Parents Teach Children Open-Mindedness

Teaching Your Child 800
 
Parents Can Teach  Children  to Disagree with Respect

 

Any parent can teach kids to be open and respectful. But it takes practice. Today we'll share:

  • 9 simple rules for open-minded disagreements 
  • 1 practice example about a sleepover
  • A 90 second video with 5 reasons why children love confiding in you

9 Rules for Conducting Open-Minded Arguments

Have you and your child ever yelled at each other? Did you feel guilty and wish it hadn't happened? I know the feeling.

Moms - Divorce
 
Respectful Disagreements Take Practice

 

If you're like most parents, you'll have many disagreements with your kids. Now you can turn them into opportunities for open-minded discussions. If you do, you'll be teaching your child an important life skill.

How to teach your child 9 simple rules for open-minded respectful disagreements:

  1. Both speak in a calm voice.
  2. Both hear and repeat each other's words or ideas.
  3. Both take time to find the good points in each other's thoughts.
  4. Discuss each other's good points.
  5. Create a compromise in which each side wins. at least, a little. 
  6. Avoid arguing, yelling, walking away, or being sarcastic.
  7. If either side is disrespectful, make a future date to discuss the issue.
  8. Keep that date and stay calm.
  9. Praise your child for her respectful openness during the argument. 

 

Use This Sleepover Example to Role-play:

Your 12 year-old son, George, is begging you to stay overnight with a friend you've never met. He says he doesn't know his mom's name or number. You want to introduce yourself and checkout  the sleepover with her.

Black Dad Discussing with Boy SMALL
 
Teach Your Child to Think Clearly and Stay Calm

 

Use the 9 rules for staying open-minded and come to a consensus. In the end, remember you are still the parent and have the responsibility to make sure your child is safe. The final decision is yours even if your child is unhappy.

5 Reasons Kids Trust Open-Minded Parents

 

 

 

Other Popular Articles You Might Like:

Child Discipline Tips - How to Discipline Kids without Arguments

10 Biggest Listening Mistakes by Parents with 35 Simple Solutions

 

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes,  

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids

        3. If either side is becoming disrespectful say, "Let's make a future date, when we are both calm, to discuss 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate


Open-Minded Kids – How Parents Promote Skilled Thinkers

Thinking Jeans Girl 900          
           How Sophie Became an Open-Minded Thinker

OPEN-MINDED KIDS ARE SKILLED THINKERS. They learn to see more than one side of issues, problems, and discussions. They think bigger than one-sided kids.

How Sophie Opened Her Mind

I spoke with a 4th grade girl, named Sophie, (Identity concealed) who told me how she changed her mind. Her teacher asked, “Should school be year-round?” Sophie said a loud, “No!”

But the teacher told the class to study both sides. Sophie did her research. This is what she found that could happen if school was year-round:

  1. The school day would be shorter.
  2. There would be more but shorter vacations.
  3. There would be fun after-school programs.
  4. Daycare wouldn’t cost parents so much because of the after-school programs. The 3-month summer vacation would be eliminated so no need for daycare then either.
  5. Teachers wouldn’t need to waste time reviewing what the children forgot due to the summer vacations.

Sophie opened her mind to these new ideas. She decided “Yes,” school should be year-round.

Sophie had an open-minded teacher who asked open-minded questions. She taught kids to see issues from both sides. Each child was free to come up with their own conclusions.

The Difference between Open Minds and Closed Minds

Spoiled Michael
 
Close-Minded Thinkers Won't Listen to New Ideas

 

Open-minded children don’t try to win arguments. They avoid stubbornly sticking to their own viewpoint. They are willing to change their opinions with new information.

Closed-minded kids won’t listen to others’ ideas. They believe they already know what’s best.

How Parents Raise Kids with Open-Minded Discussions

 

Family Discussion SMALL
 
Sample Question: Should  Parents Make Kids Try
New Foods?

 

Be the parent who uses discussions to open your kids’ minds. Discuss topics that interest them. Get them to consider both the side they favor and the one they disagree with. When they have enough information, ask them what they favor  now and why. If you do, they'll become BIGGER thinkers.

For more parenting strategies and stories to raise your children's consciousness, read full article at: 

 9 Ways Parents Raise Open-Minded Kids

 

Talk Mom and Son 900
 
Be Sure to Praise Your Open-Minded Child

 

Popular Posts with Similar Topics:

Parenting: 2 Strategies for Raising Kids with Optimistic Characters

Parenting: Turning Fearful Kids into Confident Children

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

How Parent Turn Closed-Minded Kids into Open-Minded Children

 

Dad and Daughter Bigstock 900
 
Raising Broad-Minded Kids Is Fun

 

Closed-minded children, like adults, only want things their way. They won’t consider opposing evidence. They won’t admit when they're wrong. How do parents open kids' minds to other points of view?

Boy crossed arms (2) 715
 
Parents CAN Open Kids Minds

 

Today’s brand new video shows you how to raise open-minded thinkers. You’ll find out exactly what parents can do.

For example, discuss topics kids can relate to, like:

  1. Homework
  2. Bedtime
  3. Lying
  4. Bullying
  5. Texting

Make questions out of the topics and ask children to give two sides. The side they agree with and the side they oppose. They must give good reasons for each side. Finally, they must decide which side is best. They are free to compromise by blending the best ideas from each side.

Thinking Shrug Huge 900
 
Open-Minded Kids Consider Different Viewpoints

 

One huge goal is to help children understand why people think differently. Could appreciating opposing views be one way to learn cooperation, collaboration, and preserve freedom of expression? You be the judge.

Watch here:

How Parents Raise Open-minded Kids

 



Popular Posts with Similar Topics:

How Discussions, Quotes, and Compliments Build Character in Kids

5 Rules for Teaching Your Kids Respect

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

How Parents Deal with Childhood Boredom - 10 Ways

Bored girl
 
Helping Bored Kids Become Interested Children

 

BUILDING KIDS’ INTERESTS STARTS WITH ASKING THE QUESTIONS THEY LOVE TO ANSWER. Good questions create a bond between you and your child. With these questions you’ll find out:

  • How they feel about boredom
  • What blocks their curiosity
  • What they’d really like to learn
  • What fills them with wonder
  • How you can help them satisfy their curiosity

 

Science Kids (2) 900
 
Curious Kids Have More Fun

 

After you hear the answers to the 10 discussions, You’ll know what fascinates your children. This helps them overcome boredom. You can then support and nurture their quest for knowledge by:

  • Suggesting they ‘Google’ the information they seek
  • Taking them to the library
  • Asking about and listening to their research
  • Praising their efforts to learn more
  • Suggesting they share their knowledge with grandparents and friends.
Asian Girl (2) 483
 
"I Love Discussing My Interests."

 

Pick up today’s gift with the 10 discussions that your children love exploring.

Add them to a 3-hole binder to ask whenever needed.

Enter code:

 

INTERESTS

At

https://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 

and download now!

 

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

These 7 Parenting Mistakes Kill Curiosity in Kids

Curiosity blocked
 
Don't Shut Down Your Child's Curiosity!

 

Curiosity is the key to learning because it makes studying fun and easy. Disinterested kids with negative mindsets think:

  1. This is boring.
  2. I’ll never use this stuff.
  3. Why do I have to learn this?

Dark clouds of pessimism rule their thoughts. Studying is hard for them. Sometimes parents agree with them and increase their negativity, “Yeah, this does look like a waste of time.”

But other parents turn off their kids' curiosity without realizing it.

 

Worried Boy (2) 600
 
You CAN Avoid These Mistakes

 

Today’s parenting checklist shares 7 errors not to make. Become an informed parent and help your child become an enthusiastic lifelong learner. Get this bonus now at:

https://www.KidsDiscuss.com

and enter the code words:

SHUT DOWN

Copy it to a binder and save it as a reminder.

 

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

10 Parenting Tips for Raising Curious Thinkers - A Gift

Boy with robot
 
Parents Can Raise Naturally Curious Children

Kids with curious mindsets are bound to enjoy interesting lives. As parents you can nurture wonder and a thirst for knowledge in your youngsters. In today's parenting gift you will receive a checklist of 10 ways to boost your child's intellectual curiosity.

You Will Find Out What To:

  1. Say when your child asks about a topic.
  2. Answer when you want to promote his questions.
  3. Do to encourage his enthusiasm.

 

Children Book (2) 900
 
Curious Learners Search for Answers

 

Some parents do to much to help. Others show little or no interest. Being balanced in your words and actions is the key. It's fun too.

Pick up your parenting checklist by inserting the code word:

WONDER

at

www.KidsDiscuss.com

Add it to a binder to refresh your memory whenever you need to help your child's curiosity grow.

 

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

How Parents Help Kids Love to Learn

Curious Girl 900 (2)
 
Parents Can Promote Curiosity in Kids

 

How do we keep the wonderful curiosity that crawling babies possess alive?

They creep toward toys, put objects in their mouths, pull on mom’s earrings. Everything is interesting to them. But they can lose it.

Baby on floor with mom bigstock--6615510
 
Babies Explore with Delight

 

 

I remember a frustrated second grade teacher asking me to observe 3 of her students. None of them would try. "I don’t know," was their only answer to the easiest of questions. I knew something had happened between infancy and childhood because their curiosity spark had died. Parents, don’t let this happen to your children. There are solutions.

Spoiled Michael
 
Find Out How to Get Kids Excited about Learning Again

 

In this article you’ll find how to keep your child’s enthusiasm alive with:

  1. 10 questions that encourage a passion for seeking answers.
  2. 10 ways to promote learning and 7 ways to block interest.
  3. 9 self-talk mottoes to increase your child’s wonder.
  4. 1 poem, ‘The Uncurious Kid’ who changed his life using Google

Read More at KidsDiscuss.com

 

  1. Boy with fireflies 900
     
    Curious Kids Want to Learn

 

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

Motivating Kids: These 5 Rhymes Stimulate Their Senses - Video

Girl Seeing Goals 400
 
Creating and Achieving Goals with Rhymes
that Motivate Kids

 

POSITIVE RHYMES MOTIVATE KIDS. Repetition recirculates them in their memories and becomes well-traveled paths in their brains. 

I remember a quote from 5th grade when our class was learning about explorers, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again." That became a lifelong slogan for me. It helped me motor (although slowly) through many a tough math class.

When a motivating rhyme is catchy and appeals to your child , suggest creating a bookmark, a poster, or a sticky note of it. It might become a well-traveled path and a lifelong motivator too.

In today's one-minute video you and your child will hear 5 rhymes that appeal to the senses. Feel free to tell your child to use his favorite one often. He could also use it as a springboard to creating his own one-line poem.

 

 

Want a copy of the 5 rhymes? Just Enter Code - SENSES at https://www.KidsDiscuss.com and it's yours to download.

 

Like this post? Please share it with your social media sites.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

Parenting Kids to Learn with 7 Motivating Questions - Gift

Dr. Seuss 800

 

DR. SEUSS MOTIVATED KIDS. Parents, by asking children the right questions, you can motivate them too. Knowing the best questions is the subject of this gift.

Imagine your child giving up. You've tried everything to encourage your child. You've even:

  1. Bribed him with expensive rewards.
  2. Lectured her about not getting into college.
  3. Threatened him with punishment.
  4. Ignored her discouragement.
  5. Yelled at him.
  • Bribing might work for a few weeks. But, if bringing their grades up takes a few months, many children will give up. Besides do you really want to be a briber?  If you do, you might have to bribe your kids for everything.  That means only big external rewards will get them to perform. The important internal rewards like satisfaction, curiosity, and excitement could be lost.
  • Lecturing about college and getting a good job, like bribing, doesn't motivate because it's too far into the future.
  • Punishment may make them rebel.
  • Ignoring their discouragement may give them the idea, 'Mom doesn't care so it doesn't matter.'
  • Yelling, like punishment, will probably backfire.

But there are better ways to motivate your child.

 

Mother and Daughter 900
 
Ask Motivating Questions

 

Pick up today's handout with its 7 questions. Keep it handy. When your child needs encouragement, choose the best question for that moment.  Be an investigator, listen well, use empathy if appropriate, and be consistent.

To get your gift, go to www.KidsDiscuss.com and enter the word code:

ASK

and download your 7 motivating questions.

 

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate

3 Homework Problems between Parents and Kids + Video Solutions

  

Frustrated Dad 675x651

 
You Don't Have to Battle over Homework.
 
 

PARENTS CAN ADD FUEL TO HOMEWORK DIFFICULTIES. They don’t mean to. But they don’t know what else to do. Parents just want their child to succeed.

How parents might inflame homework battles?

In this one minute parenting video you find 3 ways parents promote schoolwork fights with kids by their:

  • Words
  • Facial expressions
  • Tone of voice

You won’t want these descriptions to describe you. You won’t want your child to be filled with shame, anger at you, or rebellion because of your frustration.

What can a parent do to motivate kids to try?

  1. For privacy use the bathroom mirror.
  2. Take several breaths to calm yourself down.
  3. Decide what you want to say, how you want to look, and your tone of voice.
  4. Rehearse how you will approach the homework problems with your child. 
  5. Consider using the 3 practical suggestions in the video to encourage your child to do his homework.

You CAN be a motivating parent.

Watch this YouTube video now. It only takes a minute.

 


Find Out How to Solve Homework Battles Now.

 

Homework Motivation - Parenting Problems and Solutions

Like this post? Please share it with your friends on social media.

Thank you so much.

With warm wishes, 

Jean Tracy, MSS

******

Sign up for my FREE Parenting News and receive:

  • 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids
  • 101 Ways to Get Your Children to Cooperate